


Smoking in the Boys Room

by PattRose



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, M/M, Moonridge 2010 fic, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-13
Updated: 2012-04-13
Packaged: 2017-11-03 13:42:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/381949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PattRose/pseuds/PattRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon's got problems.  Jim is there to listen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smoking in the Boys Room

Smoking in the Boys Room  
By Patt

 

For Treassa, my Moonridge winner. Prompt was cigar, hoping for a Simon story. This is what I came up with. 

Word Count: 2,152

Jim walked into the bullpen after he had picked up something in records and all he could smell was a cigar. He looked at Simon’s office and saw it was empty. He knew there was a no smoking rule in the station, so why was he smelling a cigar? He walked down the hallway and opened up the restroom door. He was hit in the face with smoke and stink from Simon’s cigar. He shut and locked the door and went and looked under the stall for Simon. 

“Simon, what in the hell are you doing? You must know there is no smoking up here, right? There is like a $500.00 fine for getting caught with cigar or cigarettes in the station. What’s going on?”

“I had to calm my nerves down. You know that chewing on the cigar only pisses me off, because I can’t actually smoke it. So I just had to have a couple of puffs,” Simon admitted. 

“Simon, it’s not like you to go against the rules like that, what’s going on?” Jim asked hoping his friend would open up to him. 

“I’ve been seeing someone and that someone broke up with me last night. Said I was close minded and hard to live with, can you imagine that?” Simon asked angrily. 

“Okay, so you’re upset about this someone that you’re not naming breaking up with you, am I close?” Jim inquired. 

“Yes, I’m upset. I was in love, damn it. It was stupid, wild and crazy. I don’t know what I was doing,” Simon confessed. 

“Yup, sounds like love to me. So who is the lucky person? I would guess it’s a guy since you’re not saying he or she. Since when do you date guys?” Jim asked. 

“I’ve dated men before, but mostly in college. There have been none since I had a wife and child. But Daryl is in college now and I don’t have a wife to answer to anymore, so I thought what the hell. He’s an old friend from my early days at the academy,” Simon explained. 

“What’s his name?” Jim asked. 

Nick. His name is Nick Sterling. Do you know him? He’s a cop over at the 10th precinct. He’s the captain of vice,” Simon explained further. 

“Yes, I know who that is. He’s a nice guy, Simon. That’s nice that you’re dating him. It seems like you would be a good couple,” Jim admitted. 

Simon looked at Jim like he took a stupid pill. “Jim, we just broke up. We’re not a couple any longer.”

“Put that cigar out, it’s making me sick,” Jim grumbled. 

Simon put it out and then put it in his pocket. 

“Simon, do you know how gross that habit is?” Jim asked. 

“Well, Nick never complained about it. He didn’t like it, but he never complained.”

“It’s not too late to try and work things out, Simon. You know that things usually work out in the long run,” Jim remarked. 

Simon looked sadly at Jim and said, “No, I fucked it up but good and there is no going back. We’re over with.”

“Can you at least tell me why you broke up?” Jim asked. 

“He wanted to meet Daryl and go out to dinner with us on Sunday. I told him that Daryl had enough to worry about with college, he didn’t need to worry about his dad fucking guys,” Simon explained. 

“Oh fuck, you didn’t say that did you?” Jim wondered aloud. 

“Yes. I don’t want my private life and my really private life mixing. They aren’t meant to be mixed. Do you understand where I’m coming from, Jim?”

“No, I’m on Nick’s side. He had every right to break up with you. You don’t want to be seen with him, then why should he stay with you?” Jim declared. 

“How many fucking people know about you and Blair? Huh? Tell me that?” Simon barked. 

“Touché old friend, touché.” Jim walked to the door and started to open it. 

“Jim, wait a minute. Why don’t you answer me truthfully?”

Jim stopped and turned back around and said, “We’ve told my dad and his mom and my brother so far. I thought we were doing a good job of keeping it from everyone else, but I guess not. I should have told you, I’m sorry,” Jim realized. 

“But that’s just it, Jim, it’s none of my business. I have no right to know about you and Sandburg. That’s your private business. Very private and it should remain that way.”

“I’m not ashamed of Sandburg, so don’t go thinking I am. I just don’t want him to get razzed at the station and I think he would if people knew about us,” Jim guessed. 

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but everyone knows about you and Sandburg already. They all talk about it, I can’t believe you haven’t heard the rumors,” Simon informed Jim. 

“I’ve heard the rumors, but that’s all they are, is rumors. When they don’t know for sure, it makes a big difference. I totally understand both you and Nick’s outlook on this. So I wish you luck getting over him,” Jim started for the door again. 

“What would you do?” Simon put the cigar back in his mouth and chewed on the end. 

“That’s gross too. I hate when you chew on the end of it like that. Chew gum or something. Get rid of the damn cigar,” Jim ragged. 

“Nick actually hates the smell of the cigar. Says it takes away a lot of the fun from sex. But I won’t know about that anymore,” Simon clarified. 

“Did you like having sex with him?” Jim wondered. 

“Of course I did. You’ve seen him, he’s sexy as hell,” Simon assured Jim. 

“Yes, I have seen him and I happen to know that he doesn’t date much, so he must have been serious about you. It’s too bad that you won’t give him a chance,” Jim responded. 

“I’m embarrassed to tell Daryl about us. I don’t want him to know that his father takes it up the ass sometimes,” Simon stated very sadly. 

“First of all, it’s not going to be the first thing he thinks of. I think he’d be more inclined to think about happiness for you instead,” Jim disclosed. 

“Jim, you don’t know what it’s like to have to tell a child of yours that you’re having sex with another man. It’s embarrassing.”

“Then don’t worry about it. Go back to safe sex like you’re used to and let Daryl live out his life happily. What’s the big deal?” Jim asked. 

“The big deal is that I love him,” Simon confessed. 

“If you really loved him, you never would have broken up with him. Now, I better get back to work before Blair sends a search party out for me,” Jim started. 

As he got to the door he called out, “Simon, when you’re old and gray, who is going to be at your side?” 

“Daryl will always be by my side, Jim. He’s my son. He’s the first person I think of every day.”

“Okay, then. Talk to you later,” Jim said as he made his way to the door once more. 

“Jim, do you think I’m behaving like a fool?”

“Yes, I do. One of these days, you’ll think so too. It’s too bad,” Jim walked out the door and let it slam behind him. He never thought of Simon as a coward, but he was acting like one. 

Jim sat down at his desk and said, “Don’t ask.”

“Okay,” Blair answered. 

“I’ll tell you later,” Jim assured him. 

“Sounds good to me. Did you smell Simon’s cigar?” Blair asked. 

“Yeah he was smoking in the men’s room,” Jim said casually. 

“I’ll be right back,” Blair said and went towards the restroom. Jim knew that Blair would try and fix things, he always did. 

Blair walked in and shut and locked the door. “Simon, you in here?”

“Of course I’m in here. Where else would I be?” Simon kidded. 

“Jim seemed upset and I wondered if there was anything I could do to help you,” Blair offered. 

“Blair, if you had to choose between loving Jim and telling someone close to you, what would you choose?”

“It would depend. If you’re talking about Daryl, that’s a whole different ball of wax. Daryl is a good kid, but he’s young. Sometimes the young ones don’t get things as easily as us older guys do,” Blair explained. 

“I’m in love with a guy and we broke up because I don’t want to tell Daryl about him. I just wanted to keep things the way they were,” Simon admitted. 

“Then, you’ll do what you have to do. It’s too bad that you’re not giving Daryl a chance to understand. He might you know? He knows about me and Jim,” Blair disclosed. 

“You’re kidding? And he still hangs out with you guys and watches the games on Sunday. So he doesn’t seem to mind?” Simon wondered. 

“He doesn’t mind at all, Simon.”

Simon pulled that ugly cigar out and started chewing on it again. Blair made an ugly face and said, “I don’t see how you ever got anyone smoking that damn cigar like you do. They stink. Did this man ever tell you that?” 

“Actually, this is the first one I’ve had in ages. I gave them up for him. He didn’t like them and complained. It was easier to just stop then to keep it up with him bitching.”

“I like this man. Is it anyone I know?” Blair inquired. 

“Nick Sterling from Vice. He’s a Captain there,” Simon disclosed. 

“Oh man, I like him. He’s really nice. I worked with him on that case that time where I went undercover as a stripper, remember?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. That’s when I met him,” Simon confessed. 

“You’ve been dating him for about eight months then?” Blair asked. 

“Give or take, yeah,” Simon replied. 

“Wow, that’s a long time for not meeting Daryl. He probably waited as long as he could wait, Simon. You gave it your best shot. I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but at least you had him for eight months. That’s more then a lot of people ever have,” Blair enlightened Simon. 

“You always look at things in a good light don’t you Sandburg?”

“Not always, Simon. Sometimes I think about what they’re saying about me and Jim and it upsets the hell out of me. I wish people would mind their own fucking business. But thus is life,” Blair explained. 

“Well, I better get back to my office before someone starts looking for me,” Simon said sadly. 

“Good luck, Simon. I mean it. I hope you can heal and get over this as easily as possible.”

Simon smiled and said, “Thank you for being a friend, Blair.”

“No problem. You know where I am if you need to talk,” Blair said as he walked out of the restroom. 

Blair went out to the bullpen and sat down at his desk. Jim looked sadly at Blair and said, “I told you we’d talk about it later.”

“I just wanted to show my support. He’ll be fine. Just a matter or time,” Blair said as he started work on one of his files. 

Simon walked by their desks and went into his own office and closed the door. Jim listened for a few minutes and smiled. 

Jim whispered, “He’s calling him right now.”

“Nick?” Blair asked. 

“No, Daryl. I’m not listening anymore. None of our business,” Jim said getting back to his work. 

They worked side by side until it was time to go home. Jim knocked on Simon’s door and handed in the case files that they had finished. “We’re leaving for the day, Simon.”

“I called Daryl and told him about Nick and me,” Simon confessed. 

“And?” Jim inquired. 

“He said he sort of new when he saw us at the movies one night. So he knew all along. Then I called Nick and begged for his forgiveness and told him Daryl would like to meet him. Then I told him that I’d like for him to meet you and Blair in a social situation. Double date if you will,” Simon stated with a smile on his face. 

“Works for me. Just let us know when and where,” Jim said leaving the room. 

He leaned down to Blair and said, “There probably won’t be anymore smoking in the boys room from now on. The boys got back together.”

Blair lit up with happiness and then got his jacket so they could leave for the night. Blair loved happy endings. 

The end


End file.
